Drug development is a ruthless business. Argos Therapeutics lost about three-fourths of its value last week after an independent testing committee said it should discontinue a late-stage trial for an anti-cancer drug. Three other pharma companies based in the Triangle area also declined at least 8%: BioChryst, Chimerix and Novan. Much cheerier results came from LendingTree, which is benefiting from a strengthening housing market. It tops the list of best performing Carolinas-based stocks included in the Capital Investment Cos./Nottingham Index of public companies for the week ended Feb. 24. (Shares trading under $10 are excluded, including the four drug developers cited above.)

SPX (SPXC) 8.4% A lower-than-expected fourth quarter loss sparked a gain. The Charlotte-based industrial products company trades at its highest level since 2014..

Scana (SCG) 5% South Carolina’s biggest utility rebounded from a 6% decline in the previous week, triggered after Toshiba said it may sell its Westinghouse nuclear unit, which is making a reactor for Scana.

The weakest performers:

BenefitFocus (BNFT) -13.7% Investors weren’t impressed with fourth-quarter earnings at the Charleston, S.C.-based company. Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey LaBoarde is leaving in April, the third person to leave that post in the last year.